Change in metal detector policy - June 2019

[ptaylor]

Not sure if this has been reported in other threads, but it seems the metal detector policy has now changed at the parks.

It is no longer necessary to empty pockets when going through the scanners. So you can go through with keys, phones etc in pockets. Makes it much quicker to get through.

 

[larryz]

Looks like they finally found the sensitivity setting.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

What is the point then?

 

[jaxj21]

What is the point then?

Knives and guns

 

[Squishy]

If you can go through with a phone or keys, how is it going to detect a gun or knife?

 

[donsullivan]

It detects my Apple Watch 100% of the time requiring that I get hand scanned. I'm happy to take the watch off but they will not let me. I can't see how this can possibly improve thruput.

 

[ChrisFL]

If you can go through with a phone or keys, how is it going to detect a gun or knife?

Maybe its detecting shapes now? more like airport scanners?

 

[dreamfinder]

Maybe its detecting shapes now? more like airport scanners?

Totally different scanning equipment.

 

[ABQ]

It detects my Apple Watch 100% of the time requiring that I get hand scanned. I'm happy to take the watch off but they will not let me. I can't see how this can possibly improve thruput.

Take off the watch before you get to the scanner? Not sure if that would help, but if they won't let you do that after the scanner triggers, maybe having it in your pocket would create a different result?

 

[Bullseye1967]

A metal detector is pretty much a big magnet. Changing the sensitivity, makes it scan only for greater density of metals. There is far less metal in a set of keys or a cell phone than a gun or knife. Your keys will make it through without setting it off, but something like a large metal belt buckle may not.

 

[Meeko77]

Fantastic news - this was frequently a hassle, as I have a family member who usually puts a lot of items in his pockets and then struggles with it.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Fantastic news - this was frequently a hassle, as I have a family member who usually puts a lot of items in his pockets and then struggles with it.

That's the reason I never understood why people claimed bagless to be better "period".
Us girls in the family bring a small bag each.
My dad just puts everything in his pockets.
He is the one always standing at the metal detector forever to remove items and then put them back one at a time.
Once he put a single pain pill in his watch pocket to take later in the day and the detector kept going off. He took every single thing out of his pockets besides that and finally the realized it literally was the pain pill causing it.
Bagless does not equal fast for everyone.

 

[Meeko77]

That's the reason I never understood why people claimed bagless to be better "period".
Us girls in the family bring a small bag each.
My dad just puts everything in his pockets.
He is the one always standing at the metal detector forever to remove items and then put them back one at a time.
Once he put a single pain pill in his watch pocket to take later in the day and the detector kept going off. He took every single thing out of his pockets besides that and finally the realized it literally was the pain pill causing it.
Bagless does not equal fast for everyone.

Couldn't agree more - it must be a "dad thing." I wore a Disney straw hat once that had the tiniest metal mouse ear shape on it; it kept setting off the metal detector. Wasn't too happy about having to remove my hat that day. Oh, well.

 

[donsullivan]

Take off the watch before you get to the scanner? Not sure if that would help, but if they won't let you do that after the scanner triggers, maybe having it in your pocket would create a different result?

It doesn't matter where the watch is. I've held it up at shoulder level, on my arm at my side, in my hand and it always triggers and I now always needed to be hand-wanded. I was completely fine taking it off and putting it in the tray but they will not do that anymore so now I get wanded 100% of the time since this new model went into place. I'm guessing this is a result of some guests complaining about puting their jewelry or other things into the trays but it (at least in my experience) is certainly not reducing the time it takes to get thru security screening. It's actually now taking more resources for security and a longer time for me to get through.

 

[csm]

Seaworld has been doing this for a while. It's an absolutely stupid policy. Don't make me carry my iPhone through knowing it will set it off. If you do, don't be surprised when I ask for a manager when you try to wand me.

At Disney, they get quite uppity if you try to put things on the table before passing through. I do it anyway- and guess what? No wand. I'd advise every person that gets inconvenienced by this at every park take the time to file a written complaint in Guest Relations. Frontline people are programmed to follow the corporate machine; yelling at them won't solve anything. GR is the only way there's even a slim chance of correcting this nonsense.

 

[YodaMan]

Is this property wide yet? When I went to Epcot in May they told me to keep everything in my pockets but when I was at Animal Kingdom last week I still had to empty them.

 

[Dead2009]

Most sports stadiums/arenas no longer require you to take everything out of your pockets as well

 

[GlacierGlacier]

I was at MK this past week - they only required me to remove any rechargable battery, which I find quite fair.

I was used to the old system, so I kinda had everything out already, but it's a very convenient change for the future.

 

[NickPytlinski]

Is this property wide yet? When I went to Epcot in May they told me to keep everything in my pockets but when I was at Animal Kingdom last week I still had to empty them.

wouldn't be surprised if they chop and change it at every park day to day.
just to keep it different and keep security levels better.
Security gets lax if its constantly the same (its a natural thing for things to slip if you keep it constant for so long with so many different people)

personally, i feel safer knowing they are checking people with a wand etc.
i cant see many can get offended by have a wand around them if the alarm goes off. why on earth would you complain to a manager about a security procedure lol this is not aimed at you. just talking in general lol

 

[Matthew]

Seaworld has been doing this for a while. It's an absolutely stupid policy. Don't make me carry my iPhone through knowing it will set it off. If you do, don't be surprised when I ask for a manager when you try to wand me.

At Disney, they get quite uppity if you try to put things on the table before passing through. I do it anyway- and guess what? No wand. I'd advise every person that gets inconvenienced by this at every park take the time to file a written complaint in Guest Relations. Frontline people are programmed to follow the corporate machine; yelling at them won't solve anything. GR is the only way there's even a slim chance of correcting this nonsense.

really... is it that big of a deal that somebody wands you to just try and make sure you and many other people are safe that you feel the need to complain?

the people are doing their job and i'd rather people were wanded than they weren't... it hardly takes much time!